The primary objective of these two studies is to test the hypothesis that the daily ingestion of a dietary supplement, Selected Vegetables and Herbs Mix (SV), which consists of non-toxic botanicals containing known anti-cancer and/or immune enhancing components, may prolong the survival time of stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Either SV or placebo will be added to their daily diet in a double-blind randomized fashion, so that there will be 2 chances out of 3 of receiving SV and 1 chance out of 3 of receiving placebo.

Study 1: For newly diagnosed patients who will be receiving or have received less than 4 weeks of, a standard chemotherapy regimen.

Study 2: For those who have stopped or refuse standard chemotherapy but will receive best supportive care.

For newly diagnosed patients who will be receiving or have received less than 4 weeks of a standard chemotherapy regimen.

Drug: Selected Vegetable and Herb Mix

The phytomix consists of 19 vegetable and herbs in a highly concentrated form. These vegetables and herbs were selected based on their anti-cancer and immune-enhancing activities. Each batch of raw materials has gone through a very strict quality control (QC) scheme to make sure the product meets our QC standards and devoid of deleterious contaminations, such as heavy metals, pesticides, aflatoxin, and microorganisms. The manufacturing process is tightly controlled to ensure batch-to-batch consistency. The final product, a 20 gram freeze-dried powder, is sealed in a pouch. In our previous studies, patients who ingested phytomix daily for 17-60 months showed no clinical sign of adverse effect.

Placebo Comparator: Study 2: SV vs Placebo without chemotherapy

For those who have stopped or refuse standard chemotherapy but will receive best supportive care.

Drug: Selected Vegetable and Herb Mix

The phytomix consists of 19 vegetable and herbs in a highly concentrated form. These vegetables and herbs were selected based on their anti-cancer and immune-enhancing activities. Each batch of raw materials has gone through a very strict quality control (QC) scheme to make sure the product meets our QC standards and devoid of deleterious contaminations, such as heavy metals, pesticides, aflatoxin, and microorganisms. The manufacturing process is tightly controlled to ensure batch-to-batch consistency. The final product, a 20 gram freeze-dried powder, is sealed in a pouch. In our previous studies, patients who ingested phytomix daily for 17-60 months showed no clinical sign of adverse effect.

Detailed Description:

Carcinoma of the lung is the leading cause of cancer related deaths in North America. Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) causes the death of more than 400,000 patients annually in the US and Western Europe. The benefit of conventional therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, for unresectable stage IIIB and IV NSCLC patients is small; the generally accepted median survival time of late stage patients has remained 4-6 months in the "Supportive Care" group and 6-9 months in the chemotherapy treatment group; the one-year survival is about 20%. Ideal Treatment for NSCLC: The toxicity of chemotherapy and side-effects of radiotherapy to the quality of life of the patients have been a major issue in cancer treatments. It has been significant enough that many patients choose to forgo standard treatments. Furthermore, the current chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC is quite expensive, about $50,000 to $100,000 per year. Therefore, an ideal treatment for advanced NSCLC patients should meet the following criteria:

Prolong patient survival.

Minimal toxicity.

Improvement in the patient's quality of life.

Relatively inexpensive. A phytomix consisting of selected vegetables and herbs appears to meet all these criteria. The phytomix consists of 19 vegetable and herbs in a highly concentrated form. These vegetables and herbs were selected based on their anti-cancer and immune-enhancing activities. Each batch of raw materials has gone through a very strict quality control (QC) scheme to make sure the product meets our QC standards and devoid of deleterious contaminations, such as heavy metals, pesticides, aflatoxin, and microorganisms. The manufacturing process is tightly controlled to ensure batch-to-batch consistency. The final product, a 20 gram freeze-dried powder, is sealed in a pouch. In our previous studies, patients who ingested phytomix daily for 17-60 months showed no clinical sign of adverse effect.

The Objectives of the proposed studies are to evaluate the benefits and adverse reactions of adding SV to the daily diet of cancer patients who are willing to undergo the chemotherapy (Study 1) or those who refuse chemotherapy (Study 2).

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older

Genders Eligible for Study:

Both

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Pathological and radiographic documented stage IIIB/IV NSCLC (squamous, adenocarcinoma, bronchioloalveolar, large cell, undifferentiated or not otherwise specified non-small cell carcinoma) diagnosed less than two months prior to randomization. Patients must have ECOG performance status of 0-1 and life expectancy >3 months.

Patients must never have been diagnosed with any malignancy other than the current NSCLC, except for non-metastatic non-melanoma skin cancer, or cancer in situ of the cervix.

Patients must be >18 years of age.

Patients must demonstrate the ability and willingness to eat solid food and SV/placebo.

Patients must demonstrate the ability and willingness to give informed consent.

Patients must demonstrate the ability and willingness to follow the study requirements.

Exclusion Criteria:

Laboratory criteria for exclusion within 14 days prior to randomization.

Patients must not be pregnant or breast-feeding. Female patients of child-bearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test performed within 72 hours prior to randomization. Women of child-bearing potential must agree not to become pregnant while participating in the study.

A serious underlying medical condition other than NSCLC such that life expectancy is less than 2 years.

Psychiatric illness that may affect the patient's compliance with the treatment.

Current use of illicit drugs, glucocorticoids other than those necessary for concurrent radiotherapy, adrenal failure or septic shock, or other immune-suppressing or immune-modulating drugs. Glucocorticoids for anti-emetic prophylaxis and therapy should only be used as a last resort.

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00246727